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State of Affairs at RB

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Re: State of Affairs at RB

State of Affairs at RB

Florida_Owl said

Someone care to post the article's text please?

Ask and ye shall recieve.  ;D

Florida Atlantic - 2009 Spring Game Review

A PRISM contribution; written by Jason Roberts


It was a bit strange driving onto the campus of Florida Atlantic for the first time ever yesterday, seeking out the Tom Oxley Athletic Center with intentions of covering the Owls in their last spring scrimmage for 2009 . . .

To say I got lost on such a small campus is a bit of an embarrassment, yet remains the truth. I could only wish there would have been a more pronounced showing of Spring Game signs with arrows that didn’t point strangely toward a large parking lot filled with, best as I could tell, the parents of high school track meet participants filling the air with the alluring smells of barbecue and other grilled fancies while a loud-speaker blared a countless combination of numbers yielding some much-desired raffled-off door prizes.

Fortunately, that was the extent of my complaints for this pleasant sunny and warm Saturday afternoon.

Considering I had just a week before gotten swallowed up with the expansiveness of Raymond James Stadium and the South Florida Bulls, to arrive finally at the FAU football practice fields only to be buzzed by the sounds of a far-too-close-for-comfort private airport landing strip was a bit unnerving.  Still, from the first time my foot stepped out of my car and hit the pavement outside of a small, but impressive athletic center, I got the sense that I was part of something special.

I felt instantaneously as if I was a member of a very close, tight-knit and loving community of fans that had opened up their hearts and minds to a burgeoning Division I football program in perhaps the most unusual of places, the glitz and glamor of Boca Raton.

The familiarity with a place I’d never been was refreshing, particularly after a 3 1/2 hour ride in a tightly packed sports coupe (model to remain unnamed) in which I was left with little more to do than take in the repeated landforms that comprised what I’d been told was a terrifying stretch of road called Alligator Alley.

People were friendly, wearing smiles that shone brightly despite being shaded by visors and hats emblazoned with the FAU mascot on the front.

Music played loudly from the back of the athletic center, and left kids dancing in between snaps of impromptu pick-up football games.

Vendors offered numerous athletic wares, which, from my vantage point, sold well.

Lawns chairs dotted the sidelines of a neatly manicured natural playing surface that seemed out of place considering the worn field goal post wrapped almost too snuggly with the sun-bleached colors of the FAU football team.

The Sports Information Director, Katrina McCormick, stood poised attentively near the entry way to the festivities with clipboard in hand, yet completely relaxed and invitingly informal in tone.  She handed out greetings with her eyes, shaded though by dark sunglasses, and a genuine grin that instantaneously forced usually uptight media representatives like myself to let down their guard and, if only momentarily, take in the cozy atmosphere larger football programs in the state of Florida simply cannot provide.

I would comment later on, on my way back through a now-dark Alligator Alley (my friends were right, it’s an altogether different expanse once the sun goes down), that the whole scene reminded me more of a backyard family reunion than a spring football game.

Not that that was a bad thing, of course . . . just, well, different . . .

But such were the ingredients of one of the most enjoyable days I can recall while covering a football game from the sidelines in recent memory.

Warm-ups seemed to go by quickly, with head coach Howard Schnellenberger carefully pacing in and out of the various sections of the field assigned for the team’s different units.  Intense facial features failed to give away his thoughts, but it seemed clear that this legendary figure had high expectations for the players out on the field.  They would perform, and perform well; nothing less would be acceptable.

A quick rally of the troops and Schnellenberger addressed the team loudly before sending them into the locker room for pre-game preparations.  FAU’s coach stayed behind as his players dispersed, and took a moment to not only speak with a police officer on the sidelines, asking him to ensure that those in attendance stay behind what still seemed precariously close field markers, but also to partake of the obligatory shaking of hands with a few well-wishers, school officials, and FAU boosters before joining his players inside.

The game itself got underway a little later than expected, and, though the announcers quipped that the Owls would play until the sun went down, the ensuing scrimmage lasted just under two hours, with a short breather in-between the first and second period to allow players a chance to refocus and identify with position coaches adjustments needed in the other half of the contest.

There was a prevalent sense of divided camaraderie, odd as that might sound, with the offense pitted throughout the day against the defense in a battle that, at points, seemed suggestive of a contest played with the Sun Belt Conference title on the line.  Defensive coaches definitely proved the more vocal of the two groups’ leadership, barking out orders according to adjustments made by the offense in sending various men in motion.  At times, it was almost comical in nature, with language unprintable in this article flying about the field uncontested, yet obviously aimed at specific targets, marks which then preceded to respond in according fashion or quickly found themselves being called off the field for a quick talking to by the team’s coaching staff.

The rivalry ensued almost as quickly as plays began to be run, with the defense scoring an early interception of starting quarterback Rusty Smith on the first offensive series, then coming back and quickly nabbing a fumble aimlessly falling at Smith’s feet.

Smith responded in due fashion, however, recomposing himself on the third offensive series of the day and driving 60 yards before handing the ball to Alfred Morris for a short three-yard scamper into the endzone for the scrimmage’s first score.

It would be the second half before Smith took the field again, but in a much more typical manner, ended up with back-to-back scoring drives yielding two touchdowns in the span of six total plays.

For the day, the senior quarterback finished eight-of-10 passing for 114 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Jeff Van Camp saw the bulk of the action under center as Smith called plays from the sidelines, yet, like both David Kooi and Graham Wilbert, struggled to make anything happen through the air, at least until late in the second half when Van Camp hit Chris Bonner for a 10 yard touchdown pass .  Van Camp did, however, show off some good speed and cutting ability, taking off downfield on several occasions for chunks of positive rushing yardage.

The ground game saw much better results Saturday afternoon, with former backup fullback turned starting tailback Alfred Morris pounding the football for 131 yards and a touchdown on a sizable 18 carries.

Avionne Rolle proved the game’s second-most productive rusher, with deceptive speed and agility finding Rolle breaking away from defenders out on the corner for a total of 50 yards on 10 carries.

The offense spread the ball out fairly evenly to a large number of receivers, with Cortez Gent leading all pass-catchers with three receptions for 30 yards.  Tight ends Jason Harmon and Jamari Grant both looked impressive as well, combining for three receptions for a total of 52 yards and a touchdown by game’s end.  Harmon, however, would leave the game early thanks to a twisted knee.

Defensively, the Owls saw plenty of penetration up front, with numerous sacks forcing the offense to reset itself some 16 times.  Both Erick McIntosh and Marcus Bartels had recognizable outings, with each forcing an interception before Schellenberger called the game just prior to 6:00 p.m.

All in all, FAU can feel proud of its defensive showing Saturday, this even though the offense was crowned the victors in this year’s version of the Spring Game.  Offensively, there were a significant number of  positives Schnellenger and his staff could point to — particularly in the Owls’ ground game — but there existed at the same time an almost unforgivable number of mistakes needing to be addressed in fall practices.  Ball control and pass protection of the quarterback appeared the two most glaring concerns.

Fans in attendance packed up fairly quickly following the cessation of the scrimmage, leaving players to mingle for a good period of time afterward with teammates, friends and family.  Mainline figures on the team — Smith and Harmon, for instance — spent a few moments here and there talking to local media outlets.  By and far, however, I was struck by the fact there seemed little fanfare associated with the conclusion of the day’s events.

That saddened me, if only briefly; somehow, I was left yearning for more, harboring a feeling that, in all honestly, I had not felt prior to encountering the FAU football program and its small, but dedicated group of fans.  I even laughed at discovering amusement even the fact that the second half of scrimmage was interrupted not by the sound of a referee’s whistle prior to the snap of the ball, but a very young child who, obviously enamored with these helmeted warriors, suddenly ran onto to the playing field in order to greet the objects of his affection.

All stopped to take in what was happening, smiled with glee, and sent up a round of applause to a family member who quickly scooped up the toddler from the arms of one of the members of the FAU defensive secondary.

Still, a great deal of congratulation goes out to McCormick,  Schnellenberger, the families of Harmon and linebacker Mark Soto, and all the other players and school officials who went out of their way to ensure I walked (actually drove) away from Boca Raton a new fan of the Florida Atlantic Owls.

You succeeded far beyond expectation.

Hope sincerely to see you again in fall.

I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick @$$ and I'm out of bubble gum.

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Re: State of Affairs at RB

Prismfreelantz:

Well written article!
Come back anytime to FAU.
By the way, FAU has the largest campus in south florida with 850 acres followed by FIU 530 acres, UM and NSU both with 300 acres. I don't really know about Barry, Lynn or St. Thomas, but FAU is the largest school campus wise in SoFla.

thanks,

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Re: State of Affairs at RB

As i recall the child wasn't picked up and handed to a family member by an FAU player but was grabbed by a family member who ran onto the field after him…. ???
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

The said

As i recall the child wasn't picked up and handed to a family member by an FAU player but was grabbed by a family member who ran onto the field after him…. ???

Yeah the boys father ran onto the field after him, I think actually one of the refs picked him up and handed him to his father

My two favorite teams are FAU, and who ever is beating FIU!
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

The said

As i recall the child wasn't picked up and handed to a family member by an FAU player but was grabbed by a family member who ran onto the field after him…. ???

I think that is an example of "artistic license", does it really matter?

Great article, well written.  Hope you come around for some of the home games, we need all the exposure we can get.

GO OWLS!
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

Thunder and Lightning are way overused in football…I say we go with something more original

Harold and Kumar? Torville and Dean? Axe and Smash?
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

dusky256fc said

The said

As i recall the child wasn't picked up and handed to a family member by an FAU player but was grabbed by a family member who ran onto the field after him…. ???

I think that is an example of "artistic license", does it really matter?

Great article, well written.  Hope you come around for some of the home games, we need all the exposure we can get.

Where does the article say anything about an FAU player picking the child up?

Teambeer is the most knowledgeable FAU sports fan I know, way smarter than me.
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

AlexFAU06 said

Prismfreelantz:

Well written article!
Come back anytime to FAU.
By the way, FAU has the largest campus in south florida with 850 acres followed by FIU 530 acres, UM and NSU both with 300 acres. I don't really know about Barry, Lynn or St. Thomas, but FAU is the largest school campus wise in SoFla.

thanks,



I was going to comment on that myself. FIU is actually 344 acres at the main campus. Their other campus is 200 acres. So yes FAU is the largest in So Florida. I looked up the University of Nebraska wiki page to familiarize myself with them a bit more. Their Lincoln (main) campus is somewhere around 630 acres.  According to wikipedia, The FSU main campus is only 395 acres. So FAU is not "such a small campus"

FAU - THE REAL SLEEPING GIANT
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

TeamBeer said

Thunder and Lightning are way overused in football…I say we go with something more original

Harold and Kumar? Torville and Dean? Axe and Smash?

Tank and Dozer

"FAU is on a collision course with the national championship. The only variable is time."
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Re: State of Affairs at RB

walty12 said

dusky256fc said

The said

As i recall the child wasn't picked up and handed to a family member by an FAU player but was grabbed by a family member who ran onto the field after him…. ???

I think that is an example of "artistic license", does it really matter?

Great article, well written.  Hope you come around for some of the home games, we need all the exposure we can get.

Where does the article say anything about an FAU player picking the child up?


All stopped to take in what was happening, smiled with glee, and sent up a round of applause to a family member who quickly scooped up the toddler from the arms of one of the members of the FAU defensive secondary.

GO OWLS!!!

2017 and 2019 Conference USA Champions
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